2019 Can-Am Maverick Sport 1000R Review

From the very first Can-Am Commander Side-by-Side to the offerings that now blur the line between fast desert and fun trail machines comes the 2019 Can-Am Maverick Sport 1000R. For the engineers at Can-Am it was the right time to step out once again with an innovative trail-minded SXS while using the power of the Rotax V-Twin to scorch the treads.

Building adventure machines has taken Can-Am in a direction that seems to be not only what consumers are looking for, but with so much refinement that it includes small details most will only notice once seated in the cab. Capturing the styling directly from the full size Maverick X3 line gives this machine an ominous quality. Some features that consumers might find interesting (if you wrench your own ride) include the easy access to maintenance items like the radiator, brake fluid, CVT, coolant fill and air filter areas. The cargo bed deck is also removable in less than ten minutes if you need to have even more access.

Our opportunity to ride the new Can-Am Maverick Sport 1000R came in the mountainous region deep in the interior of British Columbia. With a cool morning greeting us, we had laid out a plan for a full day up on Queest Mountain, which would feature some significant elevation changes.

Sitting in the cab of the Can-Am Maverick Sport 1000R we noticed just how much more room their seemed to be compared to the Maverick Trail. Closing the solid doors, the additional width advantage, in the 5.2-inch range, was very apparent. This one change gave us a much more spacious and comfortable cockpit over the 50-inch Maverick Trail that is built on the same chassis. The cab seems to be even more refined for an average or even larger driver’s experience. For a bigger driver, the roominess behind the wheel as well as the high back bolstered seating made it feel natural. The 25 degrees of tilt steering did contribute to this natural feel along with up to five inches of driver seat adjustment, which further helps to comfortably position drivers of most any size.

With a group of curious journalists clammering for position, it was time to step off of the bigger trails (logging roads) and into the narrower sections for which we feel the Maverick Sport is well suited. Immediately we noticed the Maverick feels much more balanced and with 58% of the weight being on the rear half of this SXS. we had very little trouble getting the front of our Maverick Sport light as the drainage ditches across the trail would begin to grow unexpectedly in size. Corning is not only smooth, but predictable and you will almost forget that you are in a 60-inch wide UTV. The chassis is stable and feels planted, most likely due to the dual sway bars. These seemed to help to keep the unit anchored throughout the turns. The suspension on the Maverick Sport is the popular FOX 2.0 Podium shocks and straight from the factory they seem to soak up the mid to high speed hits very well. We had noticed that the stock setting could be a touch harsh when just trail riding, but with simple adjustment you can dial the dampeners into your own style of riding.

The new Can-Am Maverick Sport 1000R builds confidence in the driver as well as the passenger to go faster. Like so many other Can-Am vehicles, the Maverick Sport has a dual mode switch for selecting the amount of power you get at the pedal. As you may already know, Can-Am calls this the iTC; or Intelligent throttle control. Our first few miles outside of the home base had been executed in the Eco mode which limits the complete potential of this new generation of Rotax engine. It wasn’t until we had spread out on the trails that there was an opportunity to see just how exciting the ride could be. Switching into the Sport mode was not only eye opening, but gave us a new appreciation for the braking power of the Maverick Sport. The throttle is very responsive and seems to build character all the way to the floor. It was clear that the 220mm brakes and dual piston calipers got a good workout with the 27-inch Maxxis Bighorns clawing at the trail to get us slowed down. Just a tap on the seemingly unlimited resource of power from the Rotax mill in Sport mode could bring the back of the Maverick Sport out and this made those long winding gravel sections a blast. It’s also nice to know you have some reserve should you need it. We almost forgot that we were climbing into the clouds at over 6900 feet in elevation!

When you have this kind of power you really need to feel the trail and also feel in control of the steering. The DPS or Dynamic Power Steering gave us plenty of assistance, helping with the rocky, winding trails. The amount of assist, in our humble opinion, gives the driver the ability to still feel the trail beneath them very well but not too much that the wheel feels loose and flinching under their hand. As the trails began to tighten up, we engaged the new Visco-Lok QE auto-locking front differential. This allowed the Maverick Sport to crawl through rough rutted or root filled sections of the trails as we made our way to the lookout on the top of Queest Mountain. It also helped as we picked up speed because the extra grip on the front of the 2019 Can-Am Maverick Sport 1000R gave us a little more directional control, pulling the front of the UTV through the corners. To say the power of this engine is relentless is an understatement and it is so fun to pound the pedal.

However, if you think that a 100-horsepower, 60-inch wide machine might be a bit too much for you, then maybe the regular Maverick Sport 1000, which is available in the 75-horsepower range, would be the right choice. But more power has never been a bad thing in our books.